The Passion of the Rabbit God

The Rabbit God: protector of queer hearts across East Asia. Can this ancient myth help rewrite our tomorrows?

Hongwei Bao's debut collection charts an emotional journey through centuries and between nations, with the poet's own migration from Inner Mongolia to Nottingham offering a unique, fascinating perspective through which to examine Asian and queer identity.

These are poems which hop energetically over any and all borders. Scenes of everyday heartache give way to fireworks of rage and joy, while intimate examinations of relationships and desire sit alongside politically charged pieces - as the poet contrasts injustices from ancient China with those from present-day England.

In verses alive with longing and resistance, Bao's poems ask: what does it mean to love, defy, and bloom as a queer, Asian soul in our ever-changing world?

Hongwei Bao grew up in Inner Mongolia, China, and lives in Nottingham, UK. He teaches at the University of Nottingham. As a bilingual writer, he uses poetry, short story and creative nonfiction to explore queer desire, Asian identity, diasporic positionality and transcultural intimacy.